Best Realtors in Emerald Hills, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Emerald Hills is an unincorporated hillside community of about 4,200 people west of Redwood City, between Interstate 280 and Edgewood Road, with Woodside to the south. Homes sit on winding, wooded streets around Emerald Lake and Farm Hill Boulevard, and most carry Redwood City mailing addresses even though San Mateo County, not the city, handles planning and permits.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How we chose the agents in this guide
Each agent below met three checks in October 2026:
- A current California license. We opened each agent’s record on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup and confirmed the name, license type (salesperson or broker) and a "Licensed" status, with a responsible broker that matches the brokerage on the agent’s profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page that names Emerald Hills. We opened each agent’s brokerage or Homes.com profile and confirmed it names Emerald Hills as an area served or a place the agent lives and works.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Emerald Hills housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Emerald Lake Hills CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 4,235 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $2,000,000+ (top of the Census reporting range) |
| Median household income | $250,000+ (top of the Census reporting range) |
| Median age | 45.4 |
| Persons per household | 2.7 |
| Mean travel time to work | 27 minutes |
| Housing units | 1,572 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates for the Emerald Lake Hills census-designated place, as presented by Census Reporter. The Census caps reported medians at $2,000,000 for home value and $250,000 for income, so the true medians are above those figures and the table cannot show by how much.
Because the medians are top-coded, they say little about pricing. Lot size, slope, views and access vary widely from street to street, so ask agents for recent closed sales on similar terrain; our Emerald Hills real estate guide covers the area in more detail.
Wooded hillsides, Emerald Lake and county jurisdiction
Emerald Hills is a residential area of mostly custom single-family homes on irregular lots, many on steep or wooded parcels. Streets are narrow and winding, and some homes are reached by private roads or long driveways. Because the community is unincorporated, building permits, zoning and code enforcement go through San Mateo County Planning, while schools and some services overlap with Redwood City.
Costs and rules specific to an Emerald Hills purchase
- Transfer tax. The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder levies the documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000 of value. Emerald Hills is unincorporated, so no city transfer tax applies, even with a Redwood City mailing address. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- County permits and zoning. Additions, ADUs and grading go through the County’s Zoning and Development Code and Planning department rather than Redwood City. Ask the County for the parcel’s zoning and permit history before you plan changes.
- Fire hazard zones and AB 38. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps; wooded hillside streets warrant a close look. If the home is in a High or Very High zone, the seller must address defensible space under AB 38; see our AB 38 guide. Get an insurance quote early.
- Slopes, drainage and access. Ask for geotechnical or drainage reports, retaining wall permits and any road maintenance agreement for shared private roads.
- Hazard disclosures. Read the natural hazard disclosure report for mapped landslide and earthquake hazards.
Emerald Hills agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Emerald Hills. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanit Bordeianu | Coldwell Banker Realty, Burlingame | Salesperson #01923423 | Emerald Hills, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, Belmont, San Mateo, Burlingame |
| Vicky Costantini (licensed as Victoria Maria Costantini) | Compass, Woodside | Salesperson #01498092 | Emerald Hills, Woodside, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, Atherton |
| Jessica Edwards (licensed as Jessica Joy Edwards) | Compass, Menlo Park | Broker #01976534 | Emerald Hills (where she grew up and lives), Redwood City, Menlo Park |
| DiPali Shah | Compass, Menlo Park | Broker #01249165 | Emerald Hills, Redwood City, San Carlos, Atherton, Woodside, Menlo Park |
| John Shroyer | Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, San Carlos | Salesperson #00613370 | Emerald Hills, Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, Oak Knoll-Redwood Park, San Mateo |
| Pam Tyson (licensed as Pamela A. Tyson) | Compass, Menlo Park | Salesperson #01721213 | Emerald Hills, Redwood City, San Mateo County |
On the DRE record, the Coldwell Banker Realty agent is licensed under NRT West, Inc. (DRE #01908304), Compass agents under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235), and the Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty agent under Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. (DRE #02027353), whose record lists that business name and a San Carlos branch. For more Peninsula agents, see our San Mateo County agents guide.
How to vet an Emerald Hills agent
- Ask about hillside sales. Ask for recent closed sales on similar slopes and lot sizes, and how the agent weighs views against access.
- Ask how they handle County permits. A good agent knows that permit records sit with San Mateo County, not Redwood City, and will help you request them.
- Get fire insurance quotes early. Ask whether the address is in a mapped fire hazard zone and how the agent handles AB 38 documents.
- Inspect the site, not just the house. Ask for drainage, retaining wall, tree and foundation inspections.
- Check road and utility arrangements. Ask about shared driveways, private road agreements and sewer or septic service for the parcel.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Emerald Hills questions we hear
Is Emerald Hills part of Redwood City?
No. It is unincorporated San Mateo County, though most homes use Redwood City mailing addresses. The County handles zoning and building permits.
Is there a city transfer tax in Emerald Hills?
No. Only the county tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, according to the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder.
What is the median home value in Emerald Hills?
The Census reports it only as above $2,000,000, the top of its reporting range, for 2020–2024. Ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes.
Is Emerald Hills in a fire hazard zone?
Parts of the hills may be. Check the specific address on the State Fire Marshal’s map and read the natural hazard disclosure report.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Emerald Lake Hills CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax
- San Mateo County Planning and Zoning and Development Code
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Agent profiles on compass.com and homes.com, linked in the table
- Decker Bullock Dreyfus Inc. DRE record (Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty business name)
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Nearby agent guides: Atherton · Belmont
Related: Emerald Hills real estate guide · Emerald Hills home valuation · San Mateo County agents guide · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
